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Dear Families,
It's been a massive fortnight here at St Paul's, which is yet another reminder to me of why I love our school community atmosphere so much!
Father's Day stall and breakfast
A huge thanks to Jennifer Di Domenico and her team of helpers for providing our children such a wonderful choice of gifts and a great shopping experience: Amani Soufan, Amy Wilson, Anna Fatkina, Bec Belej, Ineke Elbert, Lindsay Spencer, Sam Ryan, Sarah Arnott, Valentina Esposto and Victoria Zisis.
Dad's Annual Footy Match
What a great turn out we had at Centenary Park for the Dad's Annual Footy Challenge, despite the windy conditions. Thanks to Danny Maher (once again) and Steve James from St Peter's Junior Football Club for arranging a great day out for families and bringing our two communities together. Congratulations to St Peter's for taking the Cup home again.
Sustainability Festival
The sustainability festival was one of my favourite experiences of my life. We got to learn how to make a bracelet out of plastic bags from the St. Joan of Arc canteen. We had to weave the bags to make a bracelet.
My favourite part of the day was at the end when a paleontologist named Ben talked about the dinosaur age. We got to hold a megalodon tooth!
By Samuel Holland Year 5
I was one of the lucky people chosen to go to the sustainability festival.
We walked to Patterson train station and caught the train to Glen Huntly Station. From there, we took the tram to St. Kilda Town Hall.
At the St. Kilda Town Hall, we were split into groups: one group of Year 5s and one group of Year 6s.
We went through a series of rotations where we learned some recycling tips and tricks to apply here at St. Paul’s. We learned how to make bag tags out of plastic bags and how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne reduce their water waste.
By Loretta Wise Year 5
On Thursday, the 5th of September, four Year Six students and five Year Five students were selected to participate in the Sustainability Festival. We all learned about what other schools are doing to be more sustainable and how we can reduce our carbon footprint.
We visited different stations where students from various schools shared what they are doing to be more sustainable. One school focused on reducing plastic waste, while others concentrated on the environment and how to take care of it.
At another station, we received a small seed to place in a ball of clay (which helps the seed grow). We then shaped the clay into an animal or plant, took it home, and planted it in the garden so it could grow.
At the final station, people from the St Kilda Zoo discussed “Bubbles, Not Balloons,” a concept where you use bubbles at birthday parties instead of balloons to be more sustainable and care for the environment.
By Isabella Di Domenico Year 6
Art Show
Our highly anticipated Art Show took place last Thursday, showcasing the incredible artwork of our very talented students. This wonderful event was made possible thanks to Amanda's exceptional talent and creativity, as well as her outstanding organizational skills in bringing everything together so flawlessly. We are incredibly grateful to Amanda for her passion, energy and dedication in co-ordinating a truly memorable evening.
Staffing update
Rebecca Nolan who joined the school in 2023 will not be returning to St Paul’s. Ms Flora Fisher who began the year in her replacement will continue to teach Year 5 for the remainder of the year.
Health alert
Whilst the weather may be warming up, there continue to be increased cases of children being very unwell. Illnesses continue to affect children and in some cases, these have led to more serious illnesses or infections. These can be triggered by a cold or bout of flu. In more serious instances, some children have contracted pneumonia. If your child seems to be recovering well from a cold or flu, but then relapses, they may have a chest infection. In the least two weeks of the term, please keep a watchful eye on your child’s symptoms and, if unwell, please stay home See your doctor when you can.
Principals’ Conference
Next week I will be on leave as I attend the Trans Tasman Principals’ conference in New Zealand. It looks to be a very exciting and informative programme that will focus on high-impact strategies to foster positive cultures, and future trends in educational research with speakers that include Dr Jordan Nguyen.
Whilst I am away, Margy D’Rozario will be acting Principal.
Upcoming Events
Friday 13 Setember - RUOK? Day - wear a touch of yellow with full school uniform
Monday 16 September - Whole School Assembly 3pm
Tuesday 17 September - Fight MND Cake Stall (bring $1 - $5)
Thursday 19 September - End of Term Mass 10.00am
Friday 20 September - Footy Colours Day. FINISH 2.30PM
Monday 7 October - Term 4 begins
2024 School Closure Days
Monday 4 November - School Closure Day
Tuesday 5 November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday
Friday 29 November - School Closure Day
Next week we will sent out the Term 4 Calendar for your records.
Best wishes for a lovely week ahead.
Kind regards,
Freda
Have you noticed someone you care about isn’t quite themselves lately? Maybe they seem a bit off, more agitated, withdrawn or just not acting as they usually do? Trust your instincts and reach out – it is always worth checking in.
Starting a conversation can be the first step in helping a friend, family member or colleague open up. If they’re not OK, you can follow simple steps to support them and help them work through what’s going on. And even if they are OK, they’ll know that you care enough to ask.
This Friday 13th September, we are celebrating R U OK? Day, which is all about checking in on each other and making sure everyone is doing alright. We encourage all students to wear a touch of yellow – it could be a ribbon, socks, hair ties, hats, bracelets,or any other accessory!
During lunch, the SRC and Wellbeing Team have planned some fun activities like a dance floor in the amphitheater, chalk art and a colouring station.
We look forward to bringing awareness to this important day.
Ivy Bui and Kassy Wira
Year 6 Wellbeing Leader and Student Wellbeing Leader
Dear St Paul’s Parents,
We would like to notify you that on Tuesday September 17th, last week of Term 3, the Year 6s will be hosting a cake stall to raise money for Motor Neuron Disease (MND).
If you would like to support our fundraiser, we recommend you give your child some money to buy goodies from the cake stall. The price range is from $1.00 - $5.00. If your child suffers from allergies the ingredients will be included on the dish.
Friday 20th September, the last day of Term 3, is Footy Colours Day. We ask that each child brings a gold coin donation which will also go towards MND.
Thank you for your support!
Kind regards,
Lexi and Asher from the Social Justice Team.
On Thursday the 5th September a team of 57 children represented St. Paul's at the Bentleigh District Athletics Carnival at the Duncan McKinnon Athletics Centre. The team finished 4th overall and St. Paul’s won the Adjusted Points Shield for the 11th year in a row which is based on school size. The children represented St. Paul’s in a manner that should make us all proud – they did their very best, demonstrated excellent skills and displayed great sportsmanship and school spirit.
The following 13 children achieved outstanding results in their events and will now progress through to compete in their events at the Beachside Division Athletics Carnival on Tuesday the 15th October at Duncan McKinnon Aths Track.
- Malu Martin - 11y - 200m
- Matilda Johnson - 11y - 800m
- Amelia Nash - 9/10y - Hurdles
- Stella Maraventano - 9/10y High Jump
- Ava Friend - 11y - Triple Jump
- Josh Williams - 9/10y - 100m , 200m
- Hayden Chalis - 9/10y - High Jump
- Jasper Tonkin - 12/13y - Hurdles
- Sam Gray - 11y - High Jump
- Oliver Jones - 11y - 100m , Discus
- Orlando Fucile - 9/10y - Triple Jump
- Reece Bobik - 11y - Triple Jump
- Luca Comito - 11y - Shot Put
Well done and good luck at Beachside Division, we are all very proud of you!
Danny Maher
Phys Ed / Sport Coordinator
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, we have officially launched the Return It Program at St Paul’s. We continue to use the 'Purple Bin' to collect cans, 1.5L bottles, and plastic bottles commonly found in lunch boxes or purchased from the school canteen. So far, as a school, we have raised $31!
A big thank you to the parents who have been dropping off items at the Return It program stations themselves—every dollar counts!
Families are welcome to continue participating by returning bottles or cans from home. You can allocate the funds to St Paul’s by entering our Zone Code: 2000013299 when returning your items. Instructions and images are provided below.
Thank you for your support!
Stephanie Allen
Please find attached what we’ve been up to the past two weeks, as well as what’s coming up! As the school holidays approach, we’re thrilled to invite your child to join our Holiday HQ program at St. Paul's OSH Club! We’ve planned an incredible lineup of activities that will spark creativity, ignite imaginations, and ensure your child has a fun-filled break.
From Monday, 23rd September to Friday, 4th October 2024, your child can embark on thrilling adventures like becoming a space ranger, mastering magical tricks, exploring the great outdoors, and even building their own race car! Each day is packed with exciting themes and activities designed to engage and inspire.
Spaces are limited, and they’re filling up fast! We encourage you to book your child’s spot as soon as possible to ensure they don’t miss out on this extraordinary holiday experience. To secure a spot, simply scan the QR code on our flyer or visit our website. If you have any questions or need further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 0402 617 747 or via email.
With the Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS), parents can significantly reduce the cost of our program. For example, the full price for the "Holiday HQ" program is $70.00 per day, but after applying the CCS, the cost drops to just $7.00 per day. Similarly, for "Rise then Shine" and "Stay and Play" programs, which offer different booking options such as Adventure Packs and Early Bird Adventures, the fees after subsidy are only a fraction of the full price. The subsidized fees range from as low as $7.16 to $15.96.
Visit our website for more information: https://www.oshclub.com.au/find-us/st-paul-s-school-bentleigh/
We can’t wait to see you!
